Return of Evil
by happinessisanillusion
Summary: Do you know what it's like to be hunted? what it's like to have everyone you love killed becuase of you?This woman does, and this is her story. If u like this story, REVIEW! or else i wont write anymore....next chap up and more comming!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- other than what people say (or I would like to say) I don't own anything recognizable (I would, however, very much like to own Transylvania, the Valerious Castle and Dracula, but sadly, I don't. /sigh/)

I do own the plot, and most of the characters, and you can't have it!

/starting price: one turnip/

_And now: Our feature presentation-  
_

_It was a dark and stoooooormy night_, well, kind of.

A light rain was falling from the sky, a sign that winter was passing to spring. The town's people of Transylvania celebrated the warmer weather, and coming sunshine, even though the threat of the night no longer haunted them, they were still wary at night and stayed inside most of the time. Even so, spring brought longer days full of sweet, sweet sunshine.

The only one that didn't like the sun, it seemed, was a young woman in the town. She had always shied away from the sun, staying in the shade and walking about at night. The children dubbed her "Vampress." because of her strange nocturnal activities. Her parents often worried about her at night, but she had seen the Vampires fly many a time, and no harm had come to her, she had always stayed in the shadows. Many thought her obsession with night and darkness was unnatural, but she was loved by the townspeople for her good nature and incredible strength and beauty.

"Full house, jack's over two's." but she was disliked by many of the older men for having unnatural poker abilities.

"Stasia, you cheater!" said a disgruntled player. "Nothing up my sleeve, you're just bitter 'cause you have to pay me tonight!" she said, pushing up her long sleeves and holding out her hand. The large man dropped a large purse of coins in her hand and stormed out the door, grumbling and nearly knocking over someone trying to come in. Stasia's eyes went wide as she looked at her week's 'earnings', but looked completely unimpressed other wise. It was nearly midnight; she was one of the only three people that occupied space in the only pub in her small town. She counted the money and put it in the deepest pocket in her trousers. She went up to the bar and sat on one of the large chair-like stools. Stasia looked outside and instinctively watched the sky. It had been three years since the stranger; Van helsing had suddenly appeared in their village. When he left, the news reached far and wide that the Vampires were gone. But some didn't believe it and still stayed in their homes when the sun went down. Stasia found herself strangely saddened when she heard the news that Dracula and his brides were gone, she always loved to watch them fly, like exotic birds, piercing the night sky with huge wings. (But, she always her turned her head when they caught someone to eat.) There was a certain feeling of freedom, knowing that walking about at night wouldn't be a signed death sentence.

"My usual, Earl." she said to the bartender. He poured a dark brown cloudy liquid into a tall glass and gave it to her. The stranger had sat on the stool next to hers, "Bourbon, please." he requested quietly. The barkeep poured a shot glass full and handed it the stranger, who seemed to just want to stare into the swirling liquid. "Hello." Stasia said. The stranger turned to look at her, "Good evening." he replied and looked questioningly at her drink, she smiled, "Apple juice." she said, downing the rest of it. She threw a couple coins on the counter and stood, gathering her cape and hat. She looked at the stranger once more and found he was looking back at her, she smiled and he smiled kindly, then turned back to his drink, disappearing beneath his high-collared black cape. Only his hair was visible from where Stasia was standing, a long, messy ponytail kept together with an attractive silver clip.  
She left, walking home the darkness she loved...

I swear! I have full intentions to make this story better!

What did you think of it so far?

Please Review!


	2. Death

Stasia looked up to see more of the small white flakes falling from the sky. She heard a slight noise and her stomach jumped, it sound like her mother…. in pain. She took off running full-speed down the street. _No, please, no……_

She fell to her knees in front of a still-smoking pile of rubble that used to be her home.

She screamed in agony. Neighbors heard her almost disembodied shriek and went outside. She jumped to her feet and ran into the rubble, looking for her family. "S-Stasia….." whispered a voice. "Momma!" she cried, running over the blackened figure. He mother was trapped beneath most of their huge brick fireplace; the base of it was still standing. She fell to her knees again, sinking into the thick layer of ash. "Stasia, beware. He will never stop until he kills you too, don't let him! The-the man with red hair, like fire. He is hunting you. _Don't_ let him find you!" whispered her mother in a raspy voice. Stasia shook her head; afraid touching her mother would somehow hurt her. "I won't, momma, I love you! So much!" she cried. "I love you. Stasia do not be sad, we go on to a better place. We are going home, you will see us again, my daughter." She whispered. Stasia nodded. Her family vehemently believed in God, Stasia didn't understand it. This may have been why she had loved to watch the Vampires, living forever…a novel concept. She hated that her mother accepted death so readily. She could not believe they were going a better place, they were leaving her. Her mother went limp, stasia tore her eyes away. She stood, looking at the people who surveyed the sight slack-jawed. "What happened? Who saw what happened?" she screamed, walking away from the wreck. Everyone just stared at the unbelievable sight.

"No one saw anything?" she screamed. "Anna! You live next-door, you saw, you _heard_, nothing!" she asked in disbelief. She looked up, finding the house of right side of the rubble completely clear of burn marks. The windows were clear; the building had not touched, as the one on the other side of her family's house.

Stasia shook her head, how was that possible? There was no rubble on the street, no sound of and explosion, or flames. The only sign anything had happened was that her house no longer stood. Her family was no longer alive. An arm touched her shoulder, attempting to lead her away. "Come on, Stasia." said the kind voice of her best friend, Lafayette. "No, I-I have to find papa! And Joey! And Alan and Jordan, I have to find them!" she cried, tearing away from his hold.

She stumbled around until she found a small body, charred, blackened and barely recognizable. "Joey…." Stasia said, clasping her arms to he chest. Joey, the baby of the family, was only two years old, anticipating his next birthday only a week away. Lafayette caught sight of a singed body, her papa, and immediately led her away. She didn't protest. He took her home, where his mother led her to their tiny guest room. She slipped under the warmth of the rich quilts. She looked outside to the moon and saw a winged figure glide across the sky.

_Only a dream, Stasia_, she told herself. _Only a dream._

Late the next morning, she tumbled out of bed and walked downstairs. The house was ghostly quiet and for a second, she thought she was just on a sleepover at Lafayette's house, that everything that had happened that night had been a dream. But she soon found out it was worse that she thought. "Lafayette? Lafayette? Are you-" she stopped. Her feet touched the cold, sticky liquid that coated the floor. _Blood_ she walked further into the house, terrified at what she would find.

There lay Lafayette's mother, lifeless on the floor, his sister and father were close by, their throats all slit cleanly. She raced into the other rooms, trying not to slip on the blood, he own pulse pounding hard in her throat. _No, No_ ……..

There he was, lying on his back, Lafayette was completely nude; his neck also sported a clean slice, deeper than the other's.

The wounds were sliced cleanly, someone who knew what they were doing.

There was a note on his chest. Stasia stood and read it.

_Dearest Anastasia. I know you don't remember me, princess. But I have been looking for you for a __very long time! Finally, I find you! You must know, to refuse me will be fatal not only to you. Your entire little town will be nothing more than a memory of distant legend. Meet me at the shores of the sea, in one week's time, and your town will be spared._

_Until then, dearest,_

A lock of hair was placed in the note, white on the bottom and fiery red at the ends, _hair like fire_ she thought.

She dared to look at Lafayette and found "Beware" carved into his fair skin. She shook her head, trying to fight the vomit that burned it way up her throat. She ran out of the house, losing her battle with the vomit over the banister of the porch. She hopped over the banister and ran off in a random direction. She had to clear her thoughts. _One week. Seven days, one-hundred sixty-eight hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds._

_Not much time…_

Before she knew it, her legs had carried her back to her house. The bodies of her family were piled beside the house. Someone saw her and immediately covered the charred flesh and bone with a huge piece of material. "Lafayette and his family are, no more" she cried, tears choking her voice. Everyone gasped, a few burst into tears. "I have decided to leave, and take this whatever plague this is with me." she said, deliberately keeping the note to herself.

Someone walked forward, handing her a medium-sized bag, "We found these." he said. Her small 'fortune' as she liked to think of it. Stasia took it and nodded, "Thank you."  
Then turned and walked away, no one begged her to stay, no one said goodbye, they simply watched in stunned horror as she disappeared into the rising sun.

Angry storm clouds gathered on the horizon.  
By nightfall, the storm clouds had caught up with her, drenching her, washing away the ash and dirt and blood that still clung to her clothes and skin. She came upon and old castle. The grounds were overgrown, the metal gate rusty, but she still recognized it as Castle Frankenstein. Various animals watched Stasia from behind the large hedges, chattering at their visitor. However friendly they might be, she did not stop to find out what they were, she ran to the door, praying it was unlocked. It wasn't, but the old locks were easily negotiated open with a large stick. She closed the door best she could and put several items of furniture in front of it as a gust of wind rattled the shutters outside, she felt around, the room was pitch-black, lit in intervals of lightening. She found her way to the wall and felt along it. she made it to the stairs and decided not to climb them in the dark. She curled up in a small corner where the stairs met the wall.

She fell asleep with the uneasy feeling she was being watched.

999Ok, Ok, i know! I _am_ trying to make this better! If you have any suggestions, or just want to tell me how much you hated this story...

PLEASE REVIEW!999

-happiness-


	3. A New Comapanion

Stasia woke early the next morning, pulling a blanket closer around her shoulders.

_A blanket?_

Her eyes flew open, only to meet another pair staring at her. She gasped and crushed herself against the wall, her eyes wide. She recognized these eyes, dark blue…. The man she met at the pub! What was going to do with her?

"I'm not going to hurt you, my dear." he said kindly.

Well, ok then.

"I'm very sorry! I didn't know anyone lived here, I didn't have anywhere else to go…" she babbled, as she stood, swift eyes looking for a way out. The man smiled, "It's ok, really. Before last night, you would have been correct in thinking this place was unoccupied." He said. He clasped her dirty hands in his pale ones, "No harm done."

She tried to smile. "Come, lets get you cleaned up." he said, leading her up the stairs. "I should go…" she said, looking back towards the door.

"Nonsense, you don't even have shoes." he reasoned. When they arrived at a door, her opened it and flipped a switch inside a small room and shoved her into it, she looked around, dumbstruck. "Magic..." she whispered as she gazed at the incandescent bulbs that illuminated the windowless room. He laughed, and then shut the door behind her. The room was the single most beautiful bathroom she had ever seen. High ceilings covered in paintings, a huge black marble tub sat half submerged in the black marble floor.

A lovely warm bath was drawn for her; soaps and perfumes lay around the edge of the tub, unused and tied with ribbons.

She smiled.

Most people would have had a conniption if a stranger was inside their house. Before she undressed and stepped into the bath, she locked the door, in case his motives weren't as noble they as seemed. She almost fell asleep in the bath, stirred only by a soft knock at the door. "Hello?" Stasia yelled.

"Miss! I have some clothes for you, Master asked me to give you, I'll leave them by door." yelled back a voice in rough English with a thick German accent. The voice was that of a young girl. "Thank you!" Stasia replied.

Well, now she had to get out of the bath.

She dressed in the well chosen clothes- red pants, white tunic, black jacket, socks, and black mid-thigh-high boots.

"Ma'am?" the girl asked.

"Yes?" Stasia replied, jumping slightly.

"Breakfast is served, the Master wishes you to eat."

"I'll be out presently." she called through the door.

Stasia wandered down the stairs, and instinctively turned left. She looked around, she thought the inside of the manor had been run-down and horrid. But she had only seen it in the lightning. Now, she could see the well-kept house looked lovely.

The dining room was huge, like the other rooms, but more beautiful than what she had seen. Tapestries hung down from the high ceiling, depicting images from centuries past of knights in shining armor, horses, and various works of art. The table was long, nearly 15 feet, she estimated. There were shining silver domes set at either side of the table. Judging from the place settings, only two would be dining. Stasia sat, but did not touch her plate, to do so seemed be impolite.

Suddenly, the door opened and in stepped the man in black. He smiled at her, but his eyes held other matters.

He stared at her for moment, she stared back.

Her wet hair dripped on the table.

He sat down and looked at her again, "Please, eat." He said quietly, motioning to her plate, and taking the dome cover off his. Stasia looked quickly over the contents of her breakfast briefly, before she began stuffing the eggs, bacon and French toast in her mouth. The man watched her for a moment and looked at his plate. He carefully raised a fork, as if he didn't know quite what to do with it. He stabbed a piece of sausage; then raised it to his mouth. He closed his eyes and chewed slowly. Stasia watched him, "Haven't eaten in a while?" she asked, as he began to shove the breakfast into his mouth as she did. He looked up and smiled,

"You have no idea." he replied, mouth full.

After the food was gone, the two sat at the table and stared at each other. "I'm Stasia." she said, realizing she had not yet introduced herself.

"Stasia.." he repeated, trying the name.

"My name is Vladislaus." he replied.

"That name sounds familiar, did you used to live in Transylvania?" she asked suddenly.

"No, um, Budapest, actually." he replied, almost flustered.

"Oh, I've never been to Budapest." Stasia said.

"Actually, I have to go to the sea." she said detachedly.

"Why, may I ask?" he asked genially.

"I-I've never been, "she looked down, "and, uh, yeah, just wanted to go."

"How are you expecting to get there?" he asked.

"I don't know." She replied, rearranging her used fork and knife. Then put them back the way they were and folded her napkin.

"A lady mustn't travel alone. Why don't I send you in a carriage? Nothing faster than a Transylvanian horse, I hear. Or an even better idea, I'll go with you." he said, as if a five-day trip with someone you barely know were as easy as a walk in the park. He watched as she placed the neatly folded napkin on the tabled and rearranged the fork and knife once again. Stasia looked up, surprised. "Really?" she asked, astonished he had offered.

Realizing that a trip with a man she didn't even know might not be the _most_ clever thing to do, she didn't feel she had any other choice, and didn't think he had any ulterior motive. She looked into his eyes and decided to take him up on that offer.

"When do _we_ leave?"

"Today."

After a few instructions for the servants, Stasia and her new escort took a walk around the grounds. Vladislaus talked of how he obtained house, his home in Budapest, never about his past, his wife, or his children, if any. Suddenly, as if he could contain himself no longer, "Why are you going to the sea, _really_?" he asked.

Her eyes moved form the spot directly below her to his deep blue eyes.

"An old family friend wishes to meet me, he says he has been looking for me for a long time, I must be at the sea by Sunday." She replied, "So as not to disappoint."

He smiled and nodded, but she knew he didn't believe her.

"Time to go." he said suddenly, pulling out a pocket watch and checking it.

They climbed into the large carriage just as it jerked to life.


	4. The Journey Begins

What is said about Transylvanian horses is true. Within minutes, the castle was merely a dot on the horizon. Stasia hoped the trip would be swifter than she thought, but somehow doubted it would.

Vladislaus watched her slightly unnervingly, pushing aside a hair that had fallen out of place when the carriage started to move. She looked at him, "Why do you need to go to the coast?" she asked.

He looked at her, as if considering answering her or not.

"Possibly a family friend. Or maybe I just love the coast and want to take a lovely young woman with me. Or, I'm a serial murderer and the coast would be a good place to dump the body," he said, looking at her poignantly, "What do you think?"

"Serial murderer, probably." Stasia replied. Vladislaus smiled.

:";yep, short. Verrrrry short. Should I write more? Well, I need ur feedback:";


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